Happy Freaking Birthday
by Lushcoltrane
Summary: Jade has a birthday stalker.


Disclaimer: _Victorious_ and its characters are the property of Schneider's Bakery and Nickelodeon. This story is for entertainment purposes only and no money exchanged hands. No copyright infringement is intended. The original characters, situations, and story are the property of the author. No profit is intended or wanted for this story.

Note: Got this in under the wire in honor of Elizabeth Gillies' 23trd birthday. Although in this case, I moved Jade's birthday so it happens during the school year rather than the summer.

* * *

Opening her locker, Jade stared at the dozen black roses lying on her books. Beneath them was a card that never came from a Hallmark store. A bloody heart with a blade cleaving it and the words, in a dripping blood script, **Happy Birthday**.

Jade's head whipped around. _Who dared…?_ She saw Beck talking to Andre as he played his code to unlock his own little sanctum.

 _Not Beck. If he wanted me back, he would do something stupidly sweet and irritating. Thank god that's over._

Turning over the card, Jade saw the back was blank. Opening it, a gift card from JetBrew for fifty dollars fell at her feet. The inside of the card was a smiley face but the eyes were Xs and the mouth was a flat line with a tongue hanging out. Part of the circular head was missing and the convolutions of a brain were on exhibit. No signature though.

Now she really did have to find out who did this. Given the card and black flowers, and especially the gift card, Jade might even forgive the violation of her locker.

 _Unless it was Sinjin. He'd end up eating every piece of partially digested food on his locker. Shellac and all._

Jade slid the JetBrew card into her wallet then the birthday card into her bag with her wallet. Slamming her locker shut, she headed to her first class, still scanning the people around her to figure out who the culprit was.

 _This is getting a little creepy,_ Jade decided. When she was leaving that morning, she found a large envelope that had been slid through the old mail slot in the left front door.

Inside was an 8x10 signed picture of Tawny Walker Black in the bloody wedding dress. There was also a COA – certificate of authenticity - from a well-known dealer in autographed merchandise.

Jade quickly left that in her room then headed for her pre-school coffee.

* * *

Second period. The teacher, Givens, was always late. Jade took advantage and stole a tall glass from the cafeteria and filled it with water. At her locker, she pulled a pair of scissors out with the associated horrible sound of metal screeching against metal. Cutting an inch off the bottom of the stems she put them in the glass and propped them in the corner of her locker. Then Jade hammered the scissors back into her door causing her locker to slam shut.

 _They'll stay fresh in my locker until the end of the day_ , Jade decided.

Couple of classes later, it was lunch time. As usual, the gang sat outside. The only time they actually ate in the cafeteria was during the rainy season. Some of them had the daily special and others had food from Festus' food truck.

Jade was slowly chewing her stuffed burrito and glancing around the Asphalt Café. Sinjin hadn't said anything to her. In fact, he seemed to be making a point of ignoring her and even avoiding her. _That last warning must've been effective,_ she thought with an inner grin.

For some reason, Vega was doing the same thing. Well, not avoiding her but not saying anything to Jade. For her part, Jade stayed silent through lunch, only giving monosyllabic answers to questions put to her.

 _Who knows it's my birthday? I never tell anyone. Except Beck and, while we weren't always good together, he is true to his word about secrets between us. Then there's Cat but I doubt she's aware of the date. Still…_

As lunch wound down, Jade got up and motioned for Beck to follow her. Over by the cars, he smiled and said, "Happy birthday!"

"Thanks. And thanks for not blabbing it to everyone at the table."

"No problem."

"Did you… Never mind," Jade shook her head.

"Did I what?"

"I found a bunch of black roses in my locker and what looks like a homemade card, well computer generated. And a JetBrew gift card. No name or anything." Jade showed Beck the birthday card then shoved it back in her bag. "Know anything about it? It's someone who knows my combination. You do and Sinjin did before the last time I changed it."

Holding up his hands, Beck shook his head, "Sorry, no. But you gotta admit that's kinda romantic. Well, for you…"

Jade glared at him then nodded, "Yeah, it kinda is... Man, who decided high school had to be dramarama city?"

Beck didn't say anything to that statement. Inwardly he smiled as it reminded him of a particular brunette, even if that songbird never actually used the word dramarama.

Leaving Beck, Jade returned to her locker to swap books for the afternoon. Inside, she found a pair of sterling silver scissors with her name engraved on one blade and her birthdate on the other. There was a black ribbon tied around the beautiful cutting tool in a near perfect bow.

She looked around quickly but no one who happened to be in that hallway seemed to care one way or another. Except the eighth graders and freshmen who scurried away before the Evil Eye of Jade West landed on one of them.

Jade returned to afternoon classes still clueless as to her birthday stalker. She was puzzled and growing irritated by these twin intrusions into her life.

Her last class of the day was Sikowitz. She sat down and glanced around the room. Nothing was any different than any other day. Except no Vega. Suddenly, she charged into the room, "Sorry! Sorry! I fell behind sorting the teachers' mail…"

"Anything for me?"

"Yes. It's in the office. I'm not a delivery person!" Tori stated firmly. Every day Sikowitz asked her the same thing and every day she politely told him it was in the office in his box. Today, for some reason, Tori Vega seemed to be on edge and short-tempered.

Earlier in the day, Jade remembered seeing Tori walking down the main corridor, lost in thought. Another student came out of a side hall and ran into her. Completely out of character, Tori lost it, yelling at the sophomore. Jade felt a sense of pride knowing she had rubbed off on Vega a little bit.

This time, even Sikowitz took a step back. "Sorry, Toro."

"I'm not tuna! Or a bull in the arena!"

Everyone stared at Tori for a long moment before she said, "Look, I'm sorry. Things have been… Never mind. Please go on."

Sikowitz smiled indulgently, he was used to non-theater theatrics from teenagers after all the years he'd taught. "Cat, Robbie, up on the stage and…"

When her name wasn't included, Jade turned her attention on her only real rival in school. Something was up with the normally sweet-natured girl.

* * *

Jade was waiting in her car after class, her black roses safely tucked in the back. She watched as Tori got in her own car, an older model Celica. _At least she finally got her license. About time! We are seniors after all._

Ducking down as Tori drove past, Jade waited for a minute to let Tori pull out of the school parking lot. Slowly turning right onto Sunset Boulevard, Jade stayed a half block behind the other girl. _This is odd. The Hills are west and north of here. Where's she going?_

Driving along Los Feliz through Glendale to turn right onto Colorado Boulevard, heading east, they re-entered Los Angeles at Eagle Rock. A few blocks down, Tori pulled off the road into a good-sized strip mall off Colorado. There was a Circle K minimart at one end, a tax service, a pizza-by-the-slice fast food joint and, at the far end, a nice looking Mexican restaurant. Between the pizza and the tacos was a larger store called Hollywoodland Arts. Tori parked in front of that. Jade drove down a little farther and pulled into a smaller strip mall across Colorado.

Nearly a half hour later, Tori came out of the store with a package under her arm. Jade sat up, wishing she had x-ray vision.

Tori pulled out and headed back towards Hollywood. Jade quickly started her car and started to follow. In a few blocks, Jade found herself stuck behind a little old lady with a Pasadena city sticker on her windshield. She had no chance to pass as rush hour traffic had already started to fill the streets.

Fuming as the little old lady was obviously straining to see over her steering wheel, Jade screamed loudly. The old lady swerved in a panic when that screech pierced the usual noises of traffic. Taking the opportunity, Jade tore around the immaculate old Cadillac.

After getting past the slow-moving sedan, Jade searched for Tori's car. Not surprising, it was nowhere in sight. Slamming her hand on the steering wheel, Jade yelled, "DAMN IT!"

Deciding she'd had enough of the building traffic, Jade pulled into a JetBrew along Colorado. Taking her new card, she walked up to the counter and ordered. Handing over her gift card, she was actually expecting it to be worthless and a prank.

The card was swiped and handed back with a smile as the barista said, "Thank you."

Sitting in an easy chair by the front window, Jade sipped and watched the traffic for a while before she pulled out her PearPhone to check out the Slap.

* * *

Jade had a second cup before she left. Traffic had let up enough that it wouldn't take her until her next birthday to get home.

As usual, no one was home. The large Victorian was silent as a tomb. Jade shook her head sadly. _It's not like I expected anything else…_

"Happy Fucking Birthday!"

Her voice echoed in the open entry hall. Trudging up to her room, she set her flowers and the ribbon-wrapped scissors on her desk. Then she froze. Her hand moved to grasp the new scissors, holding them like a knife.

"What the hell?!"

Another large envelope. Forcing her free hand to stop shaking, Jade used her new scissors to slit the top open. Tilting the opening to her desk, out slid a final draft of _The Scissoring_ signed by Tawny Walker Black and Jackie Stevens, the director.

Setting the envelope down next to the script where it slid, Jade held the scissors as she checked out her house. She was slow, quiet and methodical. Jade was ready to maim or even kill any intruder. Fortunately for the person who left the package, the house was now empty.

As Jade returned to her room, she picked up the script and a note fell out. It was either a word document or a text doc and unsigned but said:

 **Happy Birthday, Jade!**

 **You're 18 and deserve something special. So I hope you like everything you got. You're worth it.**

 **Your friend.**

"Who…?" Jade shook her head. _At least this freak doesn't seem to be too dangerous_. _And has awesome taste…_

As Jade tossed the empty envelope into her waste basket with the one from that morning, she saw a small slip of white paper. It was a receipt from Hollywoodland Arts.

"Tori…" Jade whispered. She grabbed her phone.

"Beck! I know who it is. It's Vega! I don't know what kind of game this is but… NO! You're nuts! But… Wow…that's…twisted. No, not that. I don't care about that! But Vega? And… No, I won't kill her. I promise. And no maiming. Don't worry. Yeah, yeah, yeah… Bye!"

Thinking about the conversation, Jade looked around her room again. _I do kinda… Maybe it'll be… What the hell! Why not?_

Going to her bathroom, she started the shower, letting the hot water build up. Then she went back to her phone and sent a text, a wicked smile on her face.

* * *

"Oh God! How did she figure it out?" Tori moaned. She stared at the text message for the hundredth time.

 **I know it was you.**

 _What now? Should I run away? No. She might take it out on my family…_

Tori was scared and was jumping at every noise in the empty house. Her father was working nights this month, her mother was at a trade show in Barstow and Trina was…somewhere.

Quickly, Tori locked all the doors downstairs then settled on the sofa, holding her TV remote like a weapon.

After an hour, she started to relax. _Maybe it'll be alright…_

 _Gotta pee._

Tori went to the bathroom down the short hall off the living room. When she came out, she froze, seeing a black rose petal on the floor. Then another. And another. A short trail led to the stairs. Each step had a petal.

As if hypnotized, Tori followed the trail upstairs and down the hall. The trail ended at her bedroom door which was closed.

 _Um… I don't know… Oh God, get a grip Tori!_

She slowly opened the door to find her room dimly lit by a number of candles. The trail continued in the room to her bed. The bed had even more black petals there and in the middle, in a seductive set of black lingerie, lay Jade.

"Well, hey Tori!"

Jade languidly rose from the bed. She wore matching bra and panties, skimpy black lace that hid almost nothing. Her legs were covered by black lace thigh-high stockings. And nothing else – except her eyebrow ring, her ear piercings and her navel ring. Stepping past Tori, she slowly closed the door before returning to stand in front of the frozen Latina.

Laying her arms on either side of Tori's head, she leaned close and said, "I know how you feel." She gently kissed Tori. "You know what? I'm not disgusted. I'm intrigued." Another soft kiss. "I'm actually pleased." A longer, soft kiss. "In fact, I like it."

This next kiss was deep and passionate. Tori tasted Jade's tongue – coffee and two sugars. Then she returned the kiss as their tongues tangoed.

They were lost in this kiss until Jade stepped back. Tori suddenly realized she was somehow naked. At that moment, Jade grabbed her arm and whipped her around to her bed where she fell into the petals. Jade slowly slinked up and said, "I like my presents. Thank you. I especially like this one…"

Jade crawled between Tori's legs and, with no foreplay other than, "I want some birthday cake But I'll settle for pie."

"Pie?" Tori managed to ask.

"Fur pie," Jade purred as her finger tips stroked the edges of the small tuft of brown fur above Tori's dampening core. Then she dipped her tongue into that well of Tori's sweet essence.

* * *

Jade held Tori to her, their bare flesh feeling perfect pressed close. "So, Tori, how did you know where I live?"

"I do my research." Smiling at the irked look on Jade's face, she then added, "I work in the school office for an hour every afternoon. If you look like you know what you're doing, you can see any file."

"Okay… But… How did you get in my house? I don't leave any windows open, especially near a tall tree," Jade nodded towards Tori's bedroom window.

"Remember when Cat swallowed your keys?"

"Wait, back when we were in the Parade Parade?"

"No, last month during rehearsal in the Black Box."

"She swallowed my keys again?!"

"Oh! That's right. You were on stage… Well, I made a wax impression and…"

"Well played, Vega. Well played."

Jade leaned over and kissed her new girl. "Now I want to play some more…"

The Beginning...


End file.
